Chapter 14: Hope to Live [2]
Rumble!
"Sigh... So hungry." Shiro complained as he rubbed his stomach. He suddenly felt a chill as he reflexively exhaled a frosty breath.
Lying near the seashore wasn't helping much, infact was increasing the degree of coldness within his body.
"Sigh, do they also feel hunger? Cold? Perhaps a sense of loneliness?" Shiro pondered as he looked at them. They were carefree, lousy, shameless... Though they looked a little different than those waves in the sea, the freedom was no different.
"Not having to be hungry... Not having to breathe... Not have to feel the pain... Free of any burden... How would that feel like?"
Another deep sigh escaped his lips. A sigh like that of Mornil's.
The urge to become one of the snowflakes, one of the sand grains, one of the tides amongst the countless ones with the sea... The urge was just irresistible.
This was when Shiro noticed the stinging sun.
"Oh no! Mother must be back home!" Loyola did not like it when Shiro went out of the house. As mentioned Scums lived in this area. Though those Scums might not be active during the day, a mother's worry was still present within her heart.
But seeing the eternal love for the seas this dumb adorable son of her possessed she thought him a few safe shortcuts within the village that'd allow him to reach the shore from the house within 20 minutes or vice versa.
But even for that there was still a limit. After certain period of time he had to return home.
With a final sigh, Shiro sprang right back to his feet while simultaneously moving his palms around his clothes and dusting them.
Not a single speck of snow was present on his clothes as the fall of these snowflakes was quite scattered.
Not resisting the urge to stretch his body, he spent two minutes producing the cracking noise from within his joints.
"Mmm." With a satisfied nod, Shiro broke into a jog. His pace was decent for a boy of his age, of course not comparing to the jog of an adult.
"Huff... Huff..." As his jog continued his stomach rumbled even more. But he didn't focus on his stomach, successfully resisting the urge.
The outline of his small body could be seen passing through the dark corners and alleyways.
"Mom!" Shiro exclaimed, excited to see the contagious smile of his mother.
After using more than half of his strength, Shiro finally managed to push the wooden door open.
At that second Shiro froze. He was dumbfounded. Everything... Looked new...
"Mother!"
"What is all this...?"
It took a few seconds for Shiro to comprehend what was happening. The new pieces of furniture that Loyola had bought were actually quite humble from the perspective of middle-class people in large cities. But in an area like this, especially the low-end streets, this was luxury.
Anything that provides comfort, unnecessary comfort, and warmth that healed one's heart, especially costing a few extra coins was luxury here.
He even noticed Sera who wasn't in her old rags... A clean cloth...
"Here, my little boy. I bought a new dress for you too..." Loyola gave off a smile as she brought Shiro into her embrace and placed him on the bed.
It feels...
Shiro frowned.
Comfortable.
He looked around. There was a newly bought chair, no two chairs, a newly bought bed, two new pillows...
Shiro looked beside him. There was a simple light brown shirt and deep wood brown braes. There were even two black boots.
Looking at all of this Shiro frowned even further. Cramped...
He liked it when the room had some space when furniture went present here.
"Here let me help you." Sera turned around as Loyola helped Shiro wear his clothes. He quickly put on his shirt and the Breas. His mother helped him tie the lace around his waist and his ankles.
After the belt on the Shoes was fastened up Loyola smiled, a smile of satisfaction.
This smile felt like a genuine one.
"You look beautiful my baby."
Shiro frowned even further. "Mother... How did we afford them?"
"Hm?"
"Did you... Do something bad?"
The exhausted look on her face was replaced with amusement as she raised one of her eyebrows. "Bad? What do you mean Shiro?"
"Bad like... Like... A Street..."
"Street?"
"A Street Girl!"
"Eh?" Loyola needed a second to proceed with what she had just heard from her innocent boy's mouth.
"Shiro..." Veins popped up on her forehead "Who taught you that word?"
"Well..."
"Cough cough! Mom I'm starving."
"Haha..." Loyola chuckled dryly. This was inevitable.
"Here eat..." Shiro's eyes instantly widened.
'So that smell wasn't just my imagination?'
A plate... He had never eaten on a plate, just directly from the basket. On the plate, the brown bread could be seen beside which a small bowl was present.
Vegetable soup...
"Try the soup. It has been ages since I made one." Loyola simultaneously grabbed Sera while bringing another plate of food and a bowl of soup.
Tearing a hard piece of bread she dipped it in the soup and then fed it to Sera.
"Mmmm! Delicious!" Sera placed both her palms on the cheeks.
Delicious? That bread?
Shiro gulped a large amount of saliva as Loyola tore another piece of bread and dipped it in soup.
"Shiro."
"Yes."
Shiro opened his mouth as the softened bread with the flavours of soup entered his mouth.
This...!
Sera wasn't exaggerating!
Hiss...!
His taste buds were dancing.
Shiro, for the first time in a while, felt that this hunger wasn't a curse.
Without stormy rains, would a person wait for sunny days?
This harsh hunger just seemed to elevate the taste of the food.
Soon a conflicted expression appeared on Shiro's face.
I don't think I can go back to eating just brown bread.
Munch munch munch!
Emmmm! Delicious!
...
"Sir, I think it's time that we go back."
"No." The Sea official instantly refuted Arbiter's words.
"I will personally witness the death of those defiant wretches."
"But sir... we can't wait here for those many days... Many matters will be delayed... You gave that woman 6 coins, six days..." Arbiter didn't dare to continued as the official's killing intent was fresh.
This brainless bald bastard! Why does he have to be so petty!
At the end of the day, Arbiter could just curse his bad luck.